Pinterest: Pinning Hopes on Social Media

In the sea of internet apps and programs that wash over e-commerce players, one stands out for an obvious reason. Pinterest—a fairly new entry on the horizon—is described by its founder as a “database of intentions.” That’s good news for anyone hoping to cash in on the wants and needs of consumers. And it can be a huge boon for your business.

Think of Pinterest as a grand-scale bulletin board of “stuff” people see, appreciate, and want to buy or replicate. To users, it’s a keepsake collector and a wish list. To marketers, it’s a gold mine; a convenient set of data that may drive sales.

What it is.

​So what’s the buzz about? Why is Pinterest a popular pursuit? Admittedly it’s not a dominating app like Instagram. And in its maiden years, it’s obviously not as pervasive as Google. But there are elements of this nouveau concept that could serve as an invaluable tool for online businesses.

Pinterest was launched in 2012 and billed as a way to collect and save media from across the internet. Users maintain their own pages and “pin,” or save, web pages, photos, and anything else they want to preserve. 

But beyond their personal collections, the site records those “pins” and makes them available to the Pinterest public through searches.

It didn’t take long for commercial enterprises to discover Pinterest and use it for branding and exposure. Like Facebook, Pinterest offers an interface that’s not unlike the average user, removing the awkward and off-putting appearance of an ad. In doing so, it allows e-tailers (and retailers) to create a personality-driven brand complete with homey photos and sentiments.
 
Not surprisingly, it’s a venue used mostly by females. Estimates show that 80 percent of Pinterest users are women and girls. Plan accordingly.

Why it’s for you.

E-commerce giant Shopify has gathered a set of eye-popping stats that show the value of Pinterest to e-tailers of all sizes. Pay attention to these:

• The average order value of sales coming from Pinterest is $50 higher than any other major social platform. 
• A major driver of online traffic: Pinterest is the #2 overall source of all social media traffic to Shopify stores.
• 2M people pin product pins per day. That’s 20x more than there are daily shoppers at the Mall of America.
• 93% of Pinterest users use the platform to plan purchases.
• Orders from Pinterest on mobile devices has increased by 140% in the last two years, and orders from non-US countries has increased 130% from 2013 to 2014.

With this in mind, it’s important to emphasize the fact that Pinterest is yet another free marketing tool for businesses, and that’s a gigantic benefit.

But as with other social media platforms, your level of success will depend on how you sell yourself, and ultimately your product. It may take some planning to get set up, but maintenance after that is relatively simple.

What they see.

As with other visual online media, Pinterest’s ability to turn interest into sales depends largely on good visuals. Eye-pleasing interface, compelling photographs—and yes, well-written text.
It’s critical to note that Pinterest is not a sales platform in itself. Potential buyers will need to navigate to your site in order to buy, and should be sufficiently enticed before they take that step.

This makes a smooth, attractive interface even more important. For starters, be sure the photos you use display nicely on the site. E-tailing expert Armando Roggio outlines a host of useful tips on presenting visual images here. They include:
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• Using high-resolution images with an appropriate aspect ratio. Generally, 2:3 works best, with a pixel count of 600x900.
• Adding text to images to help them sell.
• Providing short product descriptions that eliminate the need for guessing.
• Taking advantage of the site’s flexibility and adding useful information that may help drive a purchasing decision.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of social media lies in its root word: social. The ability for producers and sellers to connect with consumers on their own level is something advertisers and marketers used to dream about. Any good marketer understands the need to transform goods or services into relatable life accoutrements. What better way than to build a presence among a social network of users with a goal of accumulating “things” that will fit in their lifestyle?
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Pinterest offers a virtual bulletin board of ideas for the consuming public. Smart e-tailers will capitalize on that by becoming a trusted source for making their dreams come true.